The event was attended by over 400 young people - especially university students, oratory leaders, young educators, formators and teachers - from the houses of the Salesians and Salesian Sisters of Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Switzerland and San Marino. They gathered for an entire day at the Sant'Ambrogio Institute.
In line with the Pastoral Proposal for 2016-2017, the theme of the day was the encounter with the Risen Lord, summarized in the motto "With or without you, it’s not the same."
The most emotional moment was when Fr Jabloyan gave his testimony. First he presented the complexity of the reality of war in Syria, with many political, economic and religious aspects intertwined. Then he told his personal story and spoke about life in Aleppo before the war.
The focus of his testimony was the story of how the oratory has reacted to the war. The leaders were involved in helping displaced persons. He described the difficulties when the war came to the areas around the oratory, but the oratory remained open even during the bombings. He told of some almost miraculous episodes when Salesians and young people were saved from the grenades. At first the young people doubted but then decided to love their enemies by inviting the children of combatants to take part in the activities of the oratory.
"Many young people from our oratory died, but none of them died in our oratory, no one was injured in our playground”, he said. "What Don Bosco said is true: every young person who enters a Salesian oratory is protected by Mary Help of Christians."
Later in the day the young Salesians from the formation house in Nave presented “Ala di Sì” which included reflections and insights on previous ideas; a penitential liturgy and - as the culmination and end of the day - Mass in the Basilica of St. Augustine at which Fr Jabloyan presided.
